


Adrift, We Start Again

by Glass_O_Lemonade



Series: There's Dust in Our Lungs [3]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Gen, Season/Series 02 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:21:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25736449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glass_O_Lemonade/pseuds/Glass_O_Lemonade
Summary: As the sun rises, Ben follows Klaus and Salem through a back door, follows as they journey back to the alley. Neither ghost nor living greets them. The alley’s empty.
Series: There's Dust in Our Lungs [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588795
Kudos: 26





	Adrift, We Start Again

**Author's Note:**

> Klaus - Salem, settled as a raccoon  
> Allison - Cecil, settled as a black footed ferret  
> Vanya - Cadence, settled as a nightingale

The woman’s dachshund daemon darts through her legs, and then back again, his paws padding out a figure eight. They haven’t been alone since she offered Klaus her hand outside that restaurant. That was hours ago. And now the sun was setting.

At first, he attempted to speak with Klaus, but his brother never acknowledged him further beyond short, whispered dismissals. They shouldn’t be here, in this woman’s home, surrounded by her and her friends. They should go back, back to the alley. Five may have landed by now, or one of their other siblings’ could have. But, instead, here Ben was, Klaus’ silent, ever-ignored shadow, in a stranger’s mansion reduced to silently listening as Klaus weaves his captivated audience a story.

Ben watches as Klaus charms his way into receiving an invitation to dinner. By the time they’re finally alone, their host having left Klaus and Salem to settle down for the night in one of her spare rooms, Ben can’t help but admit some relief his brother has a roof for the night.

Klaus locks the door, pulls the curtains closed on each window, and leaves on the bedside lamp. The room’s empty of ghosts, save one, Ben himself.

Salem climbs onto the bed, and Klaus joins them. Across the room, Ben crosses his arms, waits for his brother to finally acknowledge him.

Klaus covers his face, as the last twenty-four hours, no- the last week, no- that’s not right either, realizes Ben. Not anymore. Everything seems to wash over Klaus right then, the first time he’s had since landing to process _anything_. 

Salem rests their head on Klaus’ chest, a comforting weight among reality’s chaos.

“Ben?” Klaus’ voice doesn’t hold the same lightness it did throughout the day. His brother’s effortless guise of indifference, humor, vulnerability, and charity seems to have been left outside in the hall the moment they stepped into the bedroom. Ben’s face softens, and he forces his shoulders to relax some. Klaus presses his hands to his face, pulls down his skin, pushes them back up, pulls again. Ben sees a tremor run through Salem. Then another.

“They’re gone, aren’t they?”

“I- I don’t know,” Ben lowers his arms, ignores the clench his heart makes at his brother’s implication. “You should go back. _We_ can go back. They may be there.”

“Hmm.” Klaus stares at the ceiling, a hand in Salem’s fur, his other tightly holds onto Dave Katz’ dog tags.

“Do you see them?” Ben doesn’t comment on how Salem’s voice quivers as they ask, doesn’t comment on how the light catches the unshed tears in his brother’s eyes.

Klaus shakes his head once. It isn’t as comforting as it should be. Not when they each know what happened to Five and Epsilon years ago.

No one sleeps that night, not truly.

As the sun rises, Ben follows Klaus and Salem through a back door, follows as they journey back to the alley.

Neither ghost nor living greets them.

The alley’s empty.

* * *

Cecil grips her jacket, presses himself against her neck and shoulders, and squeezes his eyes shut as Five warps them away. For an indescribable moment he is nothing. Allison is nothing. They’re nothing. And then they’re falling. They’re falling. He opens his eyes, and manages to think, _“Concrete!”_ in time for Allison to adjust her position mid-descent.

They’re outside. They’re outside, at night, but this is not the theatre. Even the noises around them, the life of the city and night sound- off. He loosens his grip as Allison stands, and then they’re both searching, eyes and heads darting up and around, but no one else is there. It’s only them.

The portal fades away, and they’re alone.

They’re alone.

* * *

There’s a woman above her, a young boy, too. The sun shines brightly, nearly blinding her. Why does everything hurt? She’s lying down, somewhere hot and bright, but if she could, she would close her eyes and sleep. Sleep away the pain, the exhaustion, the confusion.

Above her, a voice calls out to her, concern clear in the person’s words and voice. And then a more familiar voice, her voice, and yet at the same time, not her voice, fills her mind as a bird alights upon her chest.

“Miss, miss are you-“

_“Vanya? Vanya, are you alright?”_

It’s this second voice who stirs something within her. Recognition.

“Cadence?” she asks aloud, eyes searching out those of her daemon.

_“I’m here. I’m here.”_

* * *

Cecil knows Allison knows, but he also knows she won’t do anything about it herself. As Ray sends Miles off and addresses Allison for the first time in private, Cecil genuinely doesn’t know how Allison will respond. The man’s interest hasn’t been the greatest kept secret; his stares and smiles and silent invitations to approach obvious. Yet, Allison never has.

Cecil lifts his head, carefully watches as Ray accepts Allison’s notes. The other’s daemon, a barn owl named Zora, meets his eyes from across the room. They’ve yet to talk, the same as Ray and Allison.

As Allison clears her throat and shares her name aloud, Cecil wonders whether that may change.

* * *

_Folks around here don’t take too kindly to difference._

_Difference?_

_Your- your daemon. You said it’s- her name was Cadence?_

_I- I don’t see why that’s a problem._

_If you ask me, it shouldn’t be, but folks… For now, maybe don’t mention it?_

_Don’t mention it._

_Just until you regain your memories.  
_

_Oh. Okay. Sure._

* * *

“Carl, this is Vanya. She’s going to stay with us for a few nights.”

That evening, the Coopers welcome Vanya and ~~Cadence~~ Cade into their house.


End file.
